Modern dishwashers typically include a wash chamber where e.g., detergent, water, and heat can be applied to clean food or other materials from dishes and other articles being washed. Often an upper rack assembly is disposed close to the top of the washing chamber and is used to hold glasses, cups, and other small items. Typically, a lower rack assembly is positioned near the bottom of the chamber and a considerable distance below the upper rack. This provides vertical clearance to place dishes and platters on edge (i.e. a vertical orientation) and to place food preparation bowls and pots up-side-down on the lower rack for washing.
Each rack normally is supplied with an array of spaced apart, generally vertical tines or members, which support and separate the individual items. Preferably, these vertical members support and fix the position of various articles during the washing process. More specifically, it is desirable to position an article, such as a dish, so that water and detergent can access all surfaces during cleaning while also preventing movement of the dish that could lead to breaking, chipping, or other damage.
Conventionally, water containing detergent, rinse water, and/or other fluids is sprayed onto the dishes by rotating spray arm assemblies—one positioned below the upper rack and one below the lower rack. Water is fed to the spray arm assemblies from the rear of the dishwasher. Each spray arm assembly is typically equipped with one more holes for the release of a pressurized fluid to wash or rinse the articles. Each spray arm assembly rotates in only one direction, a rotation caused by the flow of water exiting the arms because the holes are typically oriented at an angle. As this angle is fixed, each spray arm can only rotate in one direction. As such, the angle at which fluids are applied against articles in the racks typically remains constant. For example, the interior of a cup, pot, or other container turned over in the upper rack will likely receive an intermittent spray that is only provided at the same angle with each rotation of the spray arm assembly. Depending on the amount and placement of soiling along the interior of the container, this conventional spray configuration can lead to incomplete and/or inefficient cleaning of the article. Increasing the wash cycle time may provide improved performance but at additional costs in operating the appliance.
Accordingly, an apparatus that can provide improved cleaning capability for a dishwasher would be useful. More particularly, such an apparatus that can provide sprays of fluid from multiple different angles, particularly against e.g., the interior of various containers, would be beneficial. Such an apparatus that can also be operated in different modes to e.g., provide spraying from different directions at the same or different times would also be very useful.